The fruits of hops are primarily used for brewing beer. They contain a powder that gives the beer its bitter taste and makes it durable. Only the fruit of a female hop plant can be used for beer production.

The cone shape is the distinguishing feature of the hop fruit

Only female hop plants bear fruit

Hops are dioecious, which means there are male and female plants. No fruit develops on the male plants.

In commercial cultivation, therefore, only female hop plants are grown. Male plants even have to be removed in some areas as they can spoil the fruit of the female hop plant.

This is how the hop fruit is structured

  • umbel fruit
  • cone shape
  • overlapping sepals
  • yellow powder under the sepals when the fruit is ripe

Hop fruits are yellow-green and look like small cones. They are called umbels. The sepals of the fruit overlap. On the underside are small balls that contain the most valuable ingredient in hops, lupulin.

If the fruit is overripe, the sepals turn brown.

When is the fruit ripe?

Ripe fruits are green and dry. Inside they contain a yellow powder called lupulin.

Whether a fruit is actually ripe can only be said with certainty if a cone is harvested and cut open. It then gives off an aromatic scent.

Harvest time begins at the end of August and lasts until September.

Properly store hops until use

In order for the ingredients to be preserved, a hop fruit must be dried as soon as possible after harvesting. Only dried fruits can be stored for several months.

In commercial cultivation, the hops are processed into pellets because they can be stored in sacks to save space.

For home use, you can also freeze hops and thus preserve them for a longer period of time. If you want to make a calming tea from it, take as many fruits as you need and brew them in hot water.

tips

Hop fruits must be harvested in good time. Once the fruits are overripe, they cannot be used in beer making, teas, or natural remedies. The taste is then no longer slightly tart, but inedible.

Category:

Vegetable garden